1 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chair for use by a physically impaired person, and, more particularly, to a chair including mechanical means assisting a physically impaired person in sitting down and in rising.
2 Background Art
A number of types of chair mechanisms have been made for helping physically impaired people in sitting down and in rising. Such mechanisms generally include a seat portion which is pivoted along its front edge so that it is raised to aid the user in getting up and lowered to aid him in sitting down. The seat portion may be motor driven, or manually moved with a spring aiding the upward motion. This mechanism may be incorporated within a chair extending to the floor or within a seat configured for placement on a chair or bench. With mechanisms of this type, only the chair seat moves. The adjacent arms, if there are any, remain stationary. What is needed is a method for raising and lowering the chair arms with the seat, so that the user can be provided with a source of support and stability as he rises and sits down. U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,022 describes a chair having a lift apparatus including a seat pivoted along its front edge, a foot pedal extending near the floor along the front of the chair, and a handle extending in front of each arm. A person sitting in the chair and wishing to rise transfers his weight to his feet, depressing the foot pedal, and simultaneously pulls back on the handles to cause the rear of the seat to pivot upward. Again, what is needed is a method for raising the arms of the chair as the user is rising and for lowering the arms of the chair as he is sitting down.